Front Gardens: Good for you, your street and the planet
Flash floods….heatwaves… headlines which are becoming increasingly familiar.
If you could do one thing to improve the situation in your street, would you do it?
The good news is that we can all do something to help - by planting more, especially in the front of our homes. One garden won’t change the world but every one helps. Even a few plants in a small space can help.
Click on the short video or have a look at the e-leaflet to find out more.
Green Fronts research funded by UCL Health of the Public. For more information, please contact Dr Niamh Murtagh or Dr Rachael Frost.
More liveable streets and cities
Gardens allow a city to ‘sweat’ and an overgrown shrubbery provides better conditions for bugs than a neat lawn. There are many ways in which gardens make a city more liveable. “If you own a garden, you own one part of the solution to creating liveable and sustainable cities”, according to Karen Christensen-Dalsgaard.
Find out more about the importance of your garden here.
What makes gardening good for you?
James Wong ponders whether we can identify exactly what makes gardening good for you.
The rise in paving or tarmac on front gardens is a factor in more severe flooding in recent years. In a heavy downpour, the water has nowhere to go. This short article recommends 4 plants that are great at absorbing water and suggests how to have your own rain garden to reduce the risk of your home being flooded.
What’s the best design for your front garden?
Front gardens make a first impression for your visitors, and change the face of your street. But for many of us, we need space to park the car. So how can we combine the car and a lovely front garden?
Find ideas on design from the Royal Horticultural Society.
The difficulties of the pandemic have taken their toll on everyone and mental issues, including stress, anxiety and depression, have increased. Gardening can help to reduce stress. A study on stress hormones found that even a few plants in the front garden can bring benefits.
View papers and infographics
Watch related videos
Resources
Murtagh, N. & Frost, R. (2023) Motivations for urban front gardens: a quantitative study. Landscape and Urban Planning. Volume 238, 104835. https://authors.elsevier.com/sd/article/S0169-2046(23)00154-8
Frost, R. & Murtagh, N. (2023) Encouraging planting in urban front gardens: A focus group study. Perspectives in Public Health. 143(2). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/17579139231163738